Sliding bearing with a multi-part carriage

Abstract

A sliding bearing includes a carriage having a carriage body with a bushing extending along a longitudinal axis and a sliding element arranged in the bushing so as to bear against the carriage body to at least partially enclose a sliding opening in the bushing and is designed to receive a cylindrical guide portion of a rail extending in an elongate manner along the longitudinal axis. The carriage body includes two carriage elements arranged next to one another along the longitudinal axis and are releasably fixed to one another, each of the carriage elements forms a longitudinal portion of the bushing. Each of the carriage elements forms a stop along the longitudinal axis for the sliding element. At least one portion of the sliding element is fixed in its position along the longitudinal axis between these stops.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A plain bearing ( 1 ) comprising:
 a carriage ( 100 ), having a carriage body with a passage ( 9 ) running along a longitudinal axis (X); and   a sliding element ( 4 ) resting against the carriage body and arranged in the passage ( 9 ), the sliding element, at least in portions, enclosing a sliding opening ( 10 ) situated within the passage ( 9 ), the sliding opening is configured to receive a cylindrical guide portion of a rail extending along the longitudinal axis (X), and wherein the carriage body has two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ) arranged next to one another along the longitudinal axis (X) and fixed detachably to one another, each of the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ) forming a longitudinal portion of the passage ( 9 ), wherein each of the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ) forms a limit stop, acting along the longitudinal axis, for the sliding element ( 4 ), and wherein at least one portion of the sliding element ( 4 ) is fixed in position along the longitudinal axis (X) between these limit stops.   
     
     
         2 . The plain bearing ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ) being detached and moved apart from one another along the longitudinal axis is necessary to remove the sliding element ( 4 ) from the passage ( 9 ) without radial compression. 
     
     
         3 . The plain bearing ( 1 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ) and the sliding element ( 4 ) are configured in such a manner when the cylindrical guide portion of the rail is received in the sliding opening ( 10 ) and has a diameter such that the rail rests against the sliding element ( 4 ), the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ) are movable, upon detachment from one another, apart from one another along the longitudinal axis (X) while being guided on the guide portion of the rail by the respective longitudinal portion of the passage ( 9 ), wherein the sliding element ( 4 ) remains arranged at one of the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ) until the other one of the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ) is spaced from the sliding element ( 4 ) along the longitudinal axis (X), wherein thereafter the sliding element ( 4 ) is removable from the one carriage element ( 2 ,  3 ) along the longitudinal axis (X). 
     
     
         4 . The plain bearing ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the passage ( 9 ) and the sliding element ( 4 ) each encloses the longitudinal axis (X) over an angular range of at least 200°. 
     
     
         5 . The plain bearing ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the sliding element ( 4 ) has a shell part ( 40 ) which is configured in the manner of a hollow cylinder interrupted by a slot running along the longitudinal axis (X) and forming the sliding opening ( 10 ) with a radial inner side,
 wherein a projection assembly ( 41 ) running around the longitudinal axis (X) is formed on a radial outer side of the shell part ( 40 ) and is arranged at least in part along the longitudinal axis (X) between the limit stops ( 21 ,  31 ) formed by the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ).   
     
     
         6 . The plain bearing ( 1 ) according to  claim 5 , wherein the projection assembly ( 41 ) has a plurality of projection portions arranged distributed about the longitudinal axis (X), wherein at least one of the projection portions is configured as an antitwist portion ( 410 ) and is arranged between two further limit stops of the carriage ( 100 ) acting perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and being spaced from one another in a direction of rotation about the longitudinal axis (X) in order to fix a rotational position of the sliding element ( 4 ) relative to the carriage ( 100 ) in relation to rotation about the longitudinal axis (X). 
     
     
         7 . The plain bearing ( 1 ) according to  claim 6 , wherein the carriage ( 100 ) has a recess which opens into the passage ( 9 ),
 wherein the antitwist portion ( 410 ) of the sliding element ( 4 ) is arranged in the recess.   
     
     
         8 . The plain bearing ( 1 ) according to  claim 7 , wherein the recess forms a continuous connection from an outer side of the carriage ( 100 ) to the passage ( 9 ). 
     
     
         9 . The plain bearing ( 1 ) according to  claim 5 , wherein the sliding element ( 4 ) has flutes running along the longitudinal axis (X) on the inner side of the shell part ( 40 ). 
     
     
         10 . The plain bearing ( 1 ) according to  claim 5 , wherein the carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ) together form, at their ends facing one another along the longitudinal axis (X), a groove running around the longitudinal axis (X) that forms the limit stops ( 21 ,  31 ) of the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ), wherein the projection assembly ( 41 ) is arranged at least in part in the groove. 
     
     
         11 . The plain bearing ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ) are each formed in one piece and are made from a metal or a metal alloy. 
     
     
         12 . The plain bearing ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the sliding element ( 4 ) is made from a tribopolymer. 
     
     
         13 . The plain bearing ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one peg ( 22 ), which extends along the longitudinal axis (X), is fixed on a side of the one of the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ) facing the other of the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ), wherein the peg ( 22 ) engages in a hole-type indent ( 32 ), which is provided on the side of the other carriage element ( 2 ,  3 ) facing toward the one of the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ), to fix a rotational position of the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ) relative to one another in relation to rotation about the longitudinal axis (X). 
     
     
         14 . The plain bearing ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , further comprising a screw ( 5 ) extending along the longitudinal axis (X) and having a screw head attached to a threaded pin, wherein the screw head is pressed along the longitudinal axis (X) against an outer side of one of the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ) and the threaded pin extends from the screw head through this one carriage element ( 2 ,  3 ) of the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ) and is screwed into a threaded hole provided in the other one of the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ). 
     
     
         15 . The plain bearing ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the carriage ( 100 ) has at least one channel ( 24 ,  34 ) running perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (X) for receiving a fastening means for fastening a working device to the carriage ( 100 ). 
     
     
         16 . A plain bearing assembly comprising a plain bearing ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , and a rail,
 wherein the rail is arranged with the cylindrical guide portion in the sliding opening ( 10 ) and rests against the sliding element ( 4 ).   
     
     
         17 . A method of replacing a sliding element of a plain bearing of a plain bearing assembly according to  claim 16 , the method comprising:
 in a first step, detaching the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ) from one another and moving apart the two carriage elements from one another along the longitudinal axis (X), while the two carriage elements are both guided in uninterrupted manner on the cylindrical guide portion of the rail and the longitudinal portion of the passage ( 9 ) formed by a respective one of the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ), engages around this guide portion,   in a second step following the first step, completely removing the sliding element ( 4 ) from the passage of the carriage ( 100 ) along the longitudinal axis (X) between the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ), which have been moved apart from one another and are still guided on the cylindrical guide portion of the rail,   in a third step following the second step, introducing a new sliding element ( 4 ) as a replacement into the passage of the carriage ( 100 ), and   in a fourth step following the third step, connecting and fixing together the two carriage elements ( 2 ,  3 ) to one another, thereby fixing the position of the new sliding element ( 4 ) relative to the carriage ( 100 ).   
     
     
         18 . The plain bearing assembly according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the cylindrical guide portion is longer by a multiple than the carriage ( 100 ) along the longitudinal axis (X).